Pressure mounts for Baltimore City to solve homicides

Baltimore City mayor said community has been receptive in helping solve homicides.

WMAR

Parents wait for updates in recent city shootings, killings

WMAR

Courtesy Kwesi Stevenson

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

BALTIMORE - Baltimore City resident Devin Cook loved the color green just as much as he loved lacrosse.

He loved it so much, he made sure his first car- a 1997 Nissan Maxima- matched his color choices.

“You could hear that car a mile away,” said his mother Rhonda Cook. “It had a lot of problems, but he loved it, he saved forever for it.”

Rhonda Cook sat with her family Wednesday afternoon, wearing a green bracelet with the saying “Devin smiles.”

They were meeting to discuss plans to start a scholarship fund in Devin’s honor.

Just three weeks ago Rhonda’s middle son died, after he was gun down while with a friend in Park Heights. The CCBC Catonsville lacrosse player had just finished playing a summer league game with his teammates less than two hours before he was killed.

Rhonda Cook is still hoping for closure. She is trying to move on one day at a time.

The last time she talked to police was the day of Devin’s funeral.

She prays not only for her son, but that all families affected by violence will find peace.

“The only way you can get through this is with support and forgiveness,” she said. “I pray those answers will come.”

According to Baltimore City Police, the number of solved homicides has continued to increase on a yearly basis.

Between 2011 and 2013, it went up 2 percent from 48 to 50.

Most police agencies use the Uniform Crime Reporting standard to determine their clearance rates. In Baltimore, if the homicide occurred in 1990, but was solved in 2014, it would be factored into the current year’s closure rate.

Last week, safety officials reassigned Maj. Dennis Smith, who was overseeing both the homicide unit and the district detective unit. He was temporarily replaced by Maj. Stanley Brandford, of the Eastern District.

Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott, supported the change and believe the police are making "significant progress" in solving crimes, especially homicides. However, he added there is always more work to be done.

He said it would provide a fresh perspective to bringing down the city’s murder rate, one he is happy to see improving.

“Obviously this move will take time,” said Scott, who is vice chair of the City Council's Public Safety Committee. “We have to be forward thinking to make sure city streets are safe. We need to find closure for families affected by violence.”

Baltimore City spokesperson Lt. Sarah Connelly said that when it comes to solving crimes, homicide detectives try not to focus on the number of cases, but the connection to the loved ones affected.

“They work night and day to investigate those cases,” she said.

Bill Johnson, executive director of National Association of Police Organizations, said that when it comes to high profile crimes, police are trained to hand the pressure associated with finding answers.

He added that with any jobs, police can make mistakes.

“ Police are aware that people want information and want it quickly,” he said.”The goal is to make sure it comes out efficiently and accurately.”

Johnson said the best way to alleviate pressures is the ensure police have a plan to share what they know effectively.